Platoon Sergeant Grandstaff's platoon was advancing through intermittent enemy contact when struck by enemy fire from three sides. He established a defensive perimeter and then noted that several of his men had been struck down. He raced 30 meters through intense fire to aid them but could only save one. When helicopter gunships arrived, he crawled outside the defensive position to mark the location with smoke grenades. He threw his last smoke grenade but the smoke did not penetrate the jungle foliage. Seriously wounded in the leg during this effort he returned to his radio and, refusing medical aid, adjusted the artillery close to his position as the enemy advanced. He fired several magazines of tracer ammunition through the jungle canopy and succeeded in designating the location to the gunships but drew the enemy fire and was wounded in the other leg. Enduring intense pain and bleeding profusely, he crawled within ten meters of an enemy machinegun and destroyed it with grenades but received additional wounds. Rallying his remaining men to withstand the enemy assaults, he asked for artillery directly on his location and fought until mortally wounded by an enemy rocket.

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